Saturday, 30 May 2015

There are many, many picture books featuring a theme of self-acceptance.
It’s a staple of the genre. Many (dare I suggest most?) of this select grouping
also feature animals and—making a big comeback recently—rhyming verse.

To stand out in such a crowded field is a feat. But Dotty and the Magpie manages it. Perhaps it’s Dana Brown’s
illustrations—certainly the spread of puppy-eyed multi-coloured Dotty with a
butterfly on her nose, dreaming of kingfishers, comprehensively won me over.

I’m not enamoured of the busy cover but many of the interior
illustrations simply glow. They evoke a promise of a happily-ever-after,
despite Dotty’s bout of depression over
her plain black and white appearance.

Dotty’s deepest desire is to be resplendent with rainbow colours, to be
as bright as an emerald hummingbird or a tangerine clownfish. But she’s just an
ordinary non-colourful dog.

Then one day along comes a magpie. The magpie takes her on a journey of
self-acceptance by showing her a world of beautiful, useful and even majestic
things that are plain black and white.

Friday, 29 May 2015

This
picture book with its alluring title and subject is certain to attract young
children.

The story
tells of little Dot who realises she has left her Teddy on the train after a
day out with Mum. Shocked and horrified at first, she soon soothes herself by
imaging just what her Teddy is getting up to on the train and how he will find
his way home.

The book
is written in rhyme and rolls along interspersed with the refrain of and
repetition of the title. The
illustrations paint an environment inclusive of different abilities and
cultures.The characters though depicted
cartoon-like are softened by the warm textured backgrounds.

Young children will be able to relate to losing a
treasured comfort toy and Dot’s highs and lows in being reunited with her
Teddy.

Yvonne Mes is a children's author. Her first
picture book, Meet
Sidney Nolan (Random House) is scheduled
for release in October 2015. www.yvonnemes.com

Thursday, 28 May 2015

From
the lovely end papers to the bouncy text, you feel with how much care this book
has been created.

A
cast of Australian animals creates a vibrant family. Mummy Koala and Daddy Big
Red Kangaroo have a big family of little bush children ranging from antechinus
to quoll, and they show just how warm and loving a diverse family can be. As
in many large families there is always something happening and someone
wriggling, hopping, or zooming around. This bunch of lively animals seems to
enjoy every part of the day from top to tail.

The story pictures a day in the life of what could be a human toddler, from
waking up, breakfast to bath time and bedtime stories. The simple watercolour
and pencil illustrations give plenty of room to breathe between large patches
of well balanced white space. The illustrations exude the movement, fun and
cosy chaos of large family domesticity and are utterly adorable.

The
spare text which perfectly compliments the gorgeous illustrations consists
mainly of onomatopoeia.

Yvonne
Mes is a children's author. Her first picture book, Meet Sidney Nolan (Random House) is scheduled for release in October 2015. www.yvonnemes.com

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

David Cox spent five years as a jackeroo on outback
sheep and cattle stations before he became an author and illustrator.

Set in 1940s, the story follows a young boy’s
upbringing on a Queensland sheep station. It shows its outback characters and
understated humour as told in various anecdotes. The story is full of quirky
details from how the boy completes his schoolwork via correspondence to
learning stockman’s skills from his dad and learning to drive a truck from a
young age.

This picture book documents a way of life that may
be unrecognizable to many modern children raised in the city, but the story
goes deeper than that; it tells of loss and handing down tradition but also, as
David Cox writes in the foreword, it is a story about many kinds of love.

Cox’s fluid watercolour and ink illustrations
create a colourful bush world. Dogs run in and out of the pictures as they would
in real paddocks and the horses outnumber the sheep. The longer word count makes it a picture book for
primary school aged children.

Yvonne
Mes is a children's writer and illustrator. Her fpicture book, Meet Sidney Nolan (Random House) and Oliver’s Grumbles (Dragon Tales Publishing) are
scheduled for release in October 2015. www.yvonnemes.com

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

The Monster Within is the fourth book in Melbourne author Darrell Pitt’s
popular Jack Mason detective series.

Once again, we are
immersed in a magical world of heroes, villains, steam driven transport,
mysteries, rescues and adventures. The sharp-eyed detective Ignatius Doyle is
on another mission to solve crimes with the help of his two daring young
apprentices, Jack Mason and Scarlet Bell.

Readers of the
series will remember that the main character, 14 year old Jack Mason grew up in
a circus family. After a tragic accident Jack is orphaned and sent to live in
Sunnyside Orphanage in London. The orphanage is anything but ‘sunny’ and Jack
is relieved when he is offered an apprenticeship with the very eccentric
detective called Ignatius Doyle.

Enter feisty, red
headed, strong-willed 15 year old Scarlett Bell- who originally comes to ask
Ignatius Doyle to find her missing father. She ends up becoming a second
apprentice detective. Together Jack and Scarlett make a formidable team.

In The Monster Within a lawless
organisation is carrying out terrorist attacks on the streets of London. Their
chief suspect is The Valkyrie Circle- a world wide suffragette society who is
apparently headed by someone called Lady Death.

At the same time
there are sightings of a dangerous monster living in the sewers, terrifying
people and eating cats.

Are these sinister
events connected?

Pitt is very good
at creating intriguing plots with excellent endings. I enjoy the way he pulls
everything together in clever and surprising ways.

I recommend this
series kids 9 years and over who like to read stories packed with action,
mystery and adventure.

I think fans of
Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Foul, Rick
Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and
Lemony Snickett’s Series of Unfortunate
Events will also enjoy Pitt’s breathtaking stories.

The Firebird Mystery, The Secret Abyss and the Broken
Sun are Pitt’s first three
books in this series. Stay tuned for book five, The Lost Sword, which will be published later in 2015.

Monday, 25 May 2015

Buckle
up! In Space Mash, the latest book in the Wheelnuts! series,
readers - and racers - must be able to handle zero gravity racing, showers of
meteorites and hungry aliens. Warren 'Wheelie' Wheelnut has taken his third
challenge out into space and this race is about to blast off!

The now
familiar teams have transformed their cars into rockets and are ready to tackle
even the most unexpected challenges such as zero gravity playing havoc with
Campbell's moustache, making it float and covering his eyes. Rust Bucket 30000
has the greatest advantage as these robots are used to flying around in space
and they have just purchased the perfect weapon for cheating. It’s hard to see
how any other team is going to beat them.

Wipeout
and Dipstick the two villains are hanging around as usual in their
disguises trying to disrupt the racers
and the mid-race challenge - Hey Dude There Are Robot Ants In My Space
Underpants - will have most racers yelling "I'm a Wheelnut, get me out
of here!"

The
wacky, slapstick humour, the vibrant
colourful illustrations and the action packed racing crammed with crazy,
cheating, dirty scoundrels continues in this series and is a fun and
entertaining read for seven-year-olds and older.

At the
end of the book is a Space Mash board game which can be detached and played.
Choose your team and get driving!

Multi-billionaire
Warren 'Wheelie' Wheelnut has gathered contestants for a second extreme race.
This time, the unique racetrack is in Spookytania, and promises to be the
scariest racetrack on Earth.

The
rules are simple - there are no rules - and the teams waiting for the signal to
go will take full advantage of this. The Wheel Deal, the Flying Nappy, the Rust
Bucket 3000, the Supersonic Sparkler, the Jumping Jalopy, and the winner of the
last race, the Dino-Wagon,
all plan to cheat their way to the finish line.

As
well as racing and dirty trick playing, the teams must complete a challenge
somewhere along the way. In Spookytania, this challenge is the Room of
Super-Mega-Help-I-Want-My-Mummy-Terror and all the teams are faced with ghosts
so personal and terrifying (the robots from the Rust Bucket 3000 have a rust
demon haunting them) that they do not last long at all in the challenge room.

Despite
the fierce competition, there are times when the racers need to team together.
Wipeout and Dipstick, the villains of the piece, are never far away and would
love to destroy the race.

Spooky
Smackdown is a short, colourful and fully
illustrated chapter book, which will entertain readers of all ages. The
illustrations are reminiscent of the Wacky Races cartoon, as is the storyline.
Tongue-in-cheek humour, slapstick scenarios and jostling action make for a fun
read for those who appreciate a silly sense of humour.

Saturday, 23 May 2015

In Stand Up and Cheer, a part of
Australia’s lesser-known history has been turned into an incredible novel by
writer, Loretta Re, magically weaving the elements of a gripping read with the
historical threads that put Albury and Australia on the map.

Told through the
eyes of ten-year-old Jack, an eager aviator enthusiast, we are taken on a
wildly rich journey where we grow close to Jack’s family and learn the many
lessons this book offers. But let’s start from the beginning. Set in Albury in
1934 during the Great Depression, a time when aviation and the radio were the
people’s greatest entertainment, we meet Jack, his brother Arnie and their
parents. Jack’s mother inherits some money from a deceased family member. His
father, the town’s radio presenter and voice of the ABC – convinces Jack’s
mother that purchasing a car would be the best way to spend the money. The
family travels to Melbourne to make the purchase right at the time that Mac
Robertson – the Chocolate King – announces the ‘Great Centenary Air Race’ that
will see aviators from all over the world fly from England to Melbourne to
celebrate the centenary, and that he’ll be giving away a trip to Melbourne to
see them land at Flemington Racecourse for anyone who collects all the letters
on his Cherry Ripe wrappers.

This sparks Jack’s
obsession with the race and his desperate desire to see the planes. But he is
far away and has little chance of making it back to Melbourne for the race,
especially after the town bully, and son of his father’s obnoxious boss, Pat
O’Reilly, tears up the wrappers he has collected. Little does Jack know, this
great race will change his life forever when the giant Dutch plane, Uiver, loses its way in the storm en
route to Melbourne. Jack and his family are faced with a tough decision: do they
break all the rules and attempt to save the plane?

Stand Up and Cheer is not just a story about Albury’s place in aviation
history. With so many subplots running through its veins, this is equally a
story about family, bravery and what it means to stand by your values. Loretta
has created an intriguing world beaming with strong characters and a strong
voice that carves a clear picture of this era in history. With its captivating
writing style and incredible detail, adults and children alike can pick up this
book and get lost in its pages.

Friday, 22 May 2015

Jimmy
the little honeyeater is off to flying school, and soon feels intimidated by the
other noisier, larger birds. Wracked with self-doubt, Jimmy is targeted by a
mean cockatoo which further destroys Jimmy’s self-esteem with his taunts. It
takes a kind yet strong eagle to lead Jimmy to realise his inner strengths, and
help him recognise that size is no barrier to success.

The
rhythmic, descriptive language flows well, aided by alliteration in parts.
Action and a soaring sense of self are evoked beautifully: ‘He dodged and
weaved, ducked and dived, swerved and skimmed without touching a thing’.

The
narrative is accompanied by dramatic full-bleed images in Bronwyn Bancroft’s
inimitable illustration style. Blues, greens and browns feature prominently,
reflecting the book’s natural setting, with strong lines contrasting with dot
and leaf motifs. Each page is a visual feast, beautifully carrying the text and
cementing this mother-son creative duo as one to watch.

Bronwyn
Bancroft has had a long and successful career as an artist and children’s book
creator; however, this is Jack Manning Bancroft’s first foray into children’s
books. He is best known as founding the aboriginal mentoring program AIME at
only 19 years old, and at 29 is its CEO and a NSW Young Australian of the Year
recipient. The story is based on Jack’s experiences at university, where a
mentor helped him nurture his own strengths.

The
Eagle Inside is a tale of inner-strength, courage and self-belief, and the
power of having someone to believe in you.

Thursday, 21 May 2015

Bear was perfectly happy living by himself in
the middle of nowhere. Then one day a family of rabbits built a house and moved
in next door. Those Pesky Rabbits is a fun story about a grumpy bear and
his new neighbours who constantly want to borrow, share, and include him in
their activities and lives. All Bear wants is to be left alone. Or does he?

This thoroughly enjoyable picture book shows
the power of kindness, community, consideration for others and generosity of
spirit.

A nice sense of rhythm is created with the
repetitive nature of the story - the knock, knock of the rabbits at the door and the bear’s
grumpy answers - make the story just right for preschool aged children
and enjoyable for their adult readers. There is a wonderful echo of the beginning
in the ending. It is the same yet completely different, giving a real sense of
closure.

The illustrations are gorgeous and give
fabulous characteristics to the animal's personalities. They also provide much
to look at - follow the journey of the mouse throughout the pictures.

Those Pesky Rabbits has a lovely and important message, and is
told in a gentle, amusing way. Skilfully and entertainingly written, this
picture book will be a hit with young children. The last line may well become a
phrase children say with relish at the end of the story each and every time
this picture book is read to them.

Ricky Ricotta and Mighty Robot are in trouble
again. This time they have wrecked the family car by using it as a skateboard
for the gigantic robot. Now they need to find some way to pay for the damage.

But before they can, they are caught up in the
plans of another villain, the mean little Major Monkey. This evil monkey would
love to enslave earth's inhabitants. He is lonely on Mars and has no one to
talk to, or more importantly, no one to be mean to. But he has been watching
the heroic deeds of Ricky Ricotta and Mighty Robot and knows he needs to
outsmart this pair or his evil plan will end in the same manner as the previous
ones. He needs to set a trap...

This fourth Ricky Ricotta follows the
last three adventures with Ricky and mighty Robot up against evil creatures
from other planets who want to take over earth. Short, fully illustrated and
easy to read, this series is great for young and beginning readers who want a
fast, action-packed and humorous read. Both the text and illustrations are fun
and the imaginative villains, mini-comic
fight scenes and alliterative text make an entertaining read.

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Both the author and
illustrator of this new picture book for very young children are award-winning.
The reasons for this are once again demonstrated in their exceptional craft in
Our Baby. The text starts with ‘Some babies have a mum and a dad’ and proceeds
to relate the different kinds of families babies are born into. Then there are
the types of babies there are (some with … ‘snotty noses, tiny shrimp toes,
tufty hair, dandelion hair, gummy smile, or one tooth.’) We read about the
lives of babies, what they do, where they go, what they like, how they behave.
The narrator is a baby’s young sister whose parents are bi-racial – mum
white-skinned, dad dark-skinned. At the end of the story they curl up – mum,
dad, baby and sister – in bed. ‘We are lucky, lucky, lucky to
have our baby!’ declares sister on the last page.

Thus the book is an ode to
having a baby in the family, whatever kind of family one has. Wild has a gift
for language, with the words of this book tripping along lightly, making
obvious the joys of being a baby and having a baby. Her simple sentences and
joyfulness is complimented by Blair’s delicate and engaging watercolour
illustrations set in lots of white background. We see a baby wrapped in a dad’s
arm while Dad drinks coffee in a café and baby drops crumbs to pigeons at his
feet. In another illustration, the little narrator’s dad reads a book to baby
while sister sits at a school desk, also reading. Then there are babies
rolling, dancing, crawling and bouncing; babies playing, ‘dropping things in
the toilet, or building a tower of bricks.’

Yes, the best word to
describe this book is ‘joy.’ The story can – and should – be read over and over
again, the lively and amusing pictures looked at frequently, too. This lovely
book is sure to be a hit with parents who have small children and babies. And
with pre-schoolers whose teachers share the book with them.

Bogtrotter’s life was predictable; even boring to
say the least. He did the same thing every day. A question from a frog changed
his world.

The first thing he notices is the flower between his
toes. Hope can be born through one
flower. Hope makes you daring. You feel you can speak to others. Sharing words
can bring a smile to your lips. A smile can make you happy. Happiness makes you
notice things around you.

Bogtrotter still didn’t know what or who or why. Why
did all these things come into his life?
Then he saw the frog again. The frog’s ‘why not?’ made the Bogtrotter
think.

This is a brilliant and thought-provoking picture
book for all ages. It dares you to move out of your comfort zone; to try new
things. It encourages the discovery of everyday life and its joys, and uncovers
the freedom this discovery brings.

With stunning watercolour illustrations in shades of
green and blue throughout, I loved this book. The daisy chains on the end pages
seemed like a metaphor for all these themes that joined together. This
inspiring book is full of hope and the possibilities that come with change.

Sunday, 17 May 2015

Adam
has a problem. He does not like Koala. But no-one will listen to him so
Adam has to solve this problem all by himself. How can he get rid of Koala?

''Adam puts Koala away.

Away
is a lot of different places.'

I
Don’t like Koala addresses a universal childhood problem - an
unwanted gift, the stuffed toy that will not stop staring. It is the language of
the text, the illustrations and the subtle humour which transforms this seemingly straight forward tale into a highly
entertaining and fun story.

The
illustrations are fabulous. They are soft
and matte which keeps the tone light.
Even the dark is blues and purples rather than black. Koala is not
made to look menacing. He has the same expression all the way through the
story. It is Adam's face which reveals the terribleness of Koala. And
Adam is a very expressive boy, his face tells the story.

This
story is fun to read with an unexpected twist at the end to
make every parent smile.

Friday, 15 May 2015

Grace has come to live with her
grandfather in the place where she spent her childhood summers, Embassy Row.
But Grace sees life differently now. Her mother is dead and no-one will believe
her when she says it was murder, they just think she is crazy. Her grandfather
is perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world so Grace must tread
carefully in her determination to prove these claims and find the killer. On
Embassy Row politics and diplomacy are the priority as here, countries stand
shoulder to shoulder and one wrong move could bring the whole row of dominoes
tumbling down.

Ally Carter is the author of two best
selling-series' for teens - Heist Society and Gallagher Girls - and
All Fall Down should be another success. Well written and fast-paced, the
espionage and intrigue feels fresh, possibly because the setting - among the
embassies of the world - is a new angle. The characters are likeable,
especially Grace, and they feel real. The mix of nationalities and cultures is
interesting and stereotypes are not always conformed to.

There is a touch of romance and the
themes of loyalty, diplomacy, and self-belief add weight to what is essentially a fast-paced thriller.

This is a story for older teens (14+)
and will keep them hooked and eager for the next instalments.

Ricky Ricotta and Mighty Robot are not allowed
to watch television. They have arrived late for dinner for the third time in a
week and Ricky's parents have decided to ban TV until the two friends can learn
to be a little more responsible. Little do they know it is a very good thing
not to be watching television this particular evening.

On Venus, an evil vulture has been hatching a
plan to get off the horribly hot planet and make a permanent move to earth. And
when his Voodoo Ray was beamed down and picked up by the TV signals, everyone
on earth was hypnotised by Victor Von Vulture – all except our two heroes who
could not watch television.

And so his evil plan to get earth's population
to bring food to him and his Voodoo Vulture army appears to be a smashing
success! Only two people stand in his way: Ricky Ricotta and Mighty Robot, who
must hatch a plan of their own to stop the vile vulture.

This is the third book in the action-packed,
funny Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series for young readers. The
alliteration and imaginative silly humour is entertaining to read and the
bright glossy illustrations enhance the frenetic pace of events while
mini-comics and flip-o-rama's add to the craziness of the book's plot.

Towards the end is a great illustration of the
jail which is starting to fill with all the villainous masterminds from
previous books that Ricky and his robot have thwarted.

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

I
must confess to having never read a book about Vikings until Oskar Jensen’s The
Yelling Stones arrived in my mailbox, but now perhaps I could be
tempted to read another.

In
his debut novel, Jensen successfully blends historical facts with fiction,
adding a princess and a poet to the mix and shaping a year teeming with
adventure, magic, turbulence and change.

Set
in the Viking court of Jelling, Denmark, in 958 AD, Jensen describes the
journey of Princess Astrid and the ambitious poet, Leif. At fourteen, Astrid
and Leif come from different worlds, yet it falls to this unlikely pair to
unravel the visions sent by The Yelling Stones – three witches turned to stone
while screaming a spell – and to save Jelling from a powerful force conjured to
help abolish the old, mythological ways of the court.

Astrid
is a staunch supporter of her father – King Gorm’s – court and her place within
it, but soon realises that in times of feud, her own family is not beyond using
her as a pawn to further their plans.

Jensen’s
characters are full and interesting and I found the simplicity of his
descriptions appealing. Astrid’s oldest brother and heir to the throne, Knut,
became a favourite of mine after this endearing first impression: ‘He
looked like he sounded: big, brown and shaggy’.

Alongside
the traditional feasting and drunken debauchery associated with Vikings, Jensen
introduces hungry wolves and bears, witches, trolls and a powerful winged beast
as the story flows through the seasons with their rich, magical undercurrents.

The
line between man and beast is often blurred.

Acknowledging
the potential difficulties younger readers may have with the Norse language
used throughout the novel, Jensen has included a useful quick reference key to
important characters and some commonly used words; however, I never found the
language distracting or misplaced.

Jensen
also includes an historical note about the true events and people of Jelling,
which helps to bring a degree of authenticity to the story. I enjoyed the fact
that you can actually visit The Yelling Stones.

Although
recommended for readers nine years and older, The Yelling Stones does
contain some animal sacrifice and a draugur (or awakened
corpse), so I would suggest a slightly older readership with an interest in
magic, mythology, adventure, friendship or historical fiction.

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

Both the author and
illustrator of this new picture book for very young children are award-winning.
The reasons for this are once again demonstrated in their exceptional craft in
Our Baby.

The text starts with ‘Some babies have a mum and a dad’ and proceeds
to relate the different kinds of families babies are born into. Then there are
the types of babies (some with … ‘snotty noses, tiny shrimp toes,
tufty hair, dandelion hair, gummy smile, or one tooth.’) We read about the
lives of babies, what they do, where they go, what they enjoy, how they behave.

The narrator is a baby’s young sister whose parents are bi-racial – mum
white-skinned, dad dark-skinned. At the end of the story they curl up – mum,
dad, baby and sister – in bed. ‘We are lucky, lucky, lucky to
have our baby!’ declares sister on the last page. Thus the book is an ode to
having a baby in the family, whatever kind of family one has.

Wild has a gift
for language, with the words of this book tripping along lightly, making
obvious the joys of being a baby and having a baby in one's family. Her simple sentences and
joyfulness is complimented by Blair’s delicate and engaging watercolour
illustrations set in lots of white background. We see a baby wrapped in a dad’s
arm in a caféwhile Dad drinks coffee and baby drops crumbs to pigeons at his
feet. In another illustration, Dad reads a book to baby
while his sister sits at a school desk, also reading. Then there are babies
rolling, dancing, crawling and bouncing; babies playing, ‘dropping things in
the toilet, or building a tower of bricks.’

Yes, the best word to
describe this book is ‘joyful.’ The story can – and should – be read over and
over again, and the lively and amusing pictures looked at frequently, too. This
lovely book is sure to be a hit with parents who have small children and
babies. And with pre-schoolers whose teachers share the book with them.

Monday, 11 May 2015

Billie’s
Great Desert Adventure is part of Sally Rippin’s new picture book series,
featuring a younger Billie than in her well-known and much loved Billie B Brown
junior fiction series.

Here,
Billie attends ‘kinder’ or preschool. She excitedly arrives at kinder on a
rainy day wearing her duck boots, anticipating puddle jumping and outdoor fun,
only to learn she must remain inside. Barricading herself in a pile of
cushions, Billie realises the possibilities they hold for creative play when
Jack (of Rippin’s ‘Hey Jack’ series) arrives on the scene, excitedly
interpreting the cushion pile as a cave. The two then embark on a magical
adventure that references Aladdin, complete with treasure, thieves and a magic
carpet ride. Reflecting the boundless imaginations of preschool-aged children,
the story immerses the reader in a fast-paced, fantastical journey, only ending
when Billie and Jack emerge from their cushion cave in time for an
all-important snack.

Alisa
Coburn’s vibrant illustrations have a timeless, retro feel, and help bring the
story to life. The expressive faces of the characters reveal a gamut of
emotions from fear to elation as Billie and Jack devise a way to thwart the
thieves, further bring the reader along for the ride.

Rippin’s
foray into picture books allows a greater exploration of language than the
conventions of her read-alone junior series’ both allow. It introduces the 3 to
5 year old set to the worlds of Billie and Jack, paving the way for a love of
reading and an eventual confidence to tackle the Billie B Brown and Hey Jack
novels. Interestingly, Billie’s earlier dismissal of reading books when she
arrives at kinder is counteracted by Coburn’s strategic inclusion of imagery of
opened books strewn on Billie’s and Jack’s cushion cave. Just like the kids’
adventure, the books look to be Aladdin-inspired, hinting at the inspiration to
be found within their pages.

Billie’s
Great Desert Adventure is a charming story that perfectly captures the heightened imaginations of young children.

In this second adventure, Ricky Ricotta and
his friend Mighty Robot are back in action. Ricky sees mutant mosquitoes attack
Squeakyville from his school window but the teacher will not let him leave to save
the earth until he finishes his maths test. Luckily, Ricky is a whiz at maths. With
his robot friend, Ricky must battle evil mosquitoes which are sick of living on
their hot planet of Mercury, and want to take over Earth for their home.

Thin, colourful, and glossy, the short chapter
and easy text will attract young boys who are looking to extend their reading
to chapter books. And the action, with animal-like alien monsters will keep
them hooked. Comic style pages enhance the action in the battle scenes and the
illustrations.

Created by the author of Captain Underpants, and
illustrator Dan Santat, the Ricky Ricotta tales are filled with action, aliens,
heroes and flip-o-ramas, which will appeal to lower primary readers and younger
Captain Underpants fans.

Saturday, 9 May 2015

While
lurching at a copy of Meet Banjo Paterson, I was immediately
reminded of my grade 4 public speaking performance of Clancy of the
Overflow, (that and Jack Thompson’s blonde moustache). As our English
teacher’s comb over floated celestially above his head during enthusiastic
rehearsals, we were blithely unaware of the man behind the poem; the boy then
the man who was to become Banjo Paterson.

Meet Banjo Paterson is the seventh
book in the Meet… series from Random House, a collection of
non-fiction picture books aimed at uncovering the people behind Australia’s
most well-loved and infamous icons including Ned Kelly, Mary MacKillop, Captain
Cook and Douglas Mawson.

Kristin
Weidenbach and illustrator James Gulliver Hancock, set the scene for a young
Andrew Barton Paterson (Banjo), a boy who lived and loved the Australian bush,
particularly horses and bush life. Weidenbach’s evocative tone creates a clear
description of what life was like in the second half of the 19th century.

This
is contrasted beautifully with the backdrop of the industrial revolution and
the cities where Banjo worked as lawyer in later in life. His love of the
Australian outback and fascination with Bushmen is translated as a lasting
vehicle of Australia’s heritage.

James
Gulliver Hancock’s illustrations enrich the palate of colonial Australia with
muted hues and the use of black chalk to portray a coal and campfire society.
The colours including deep reds and purples are indicative of those naturally
found in banksias and wild lavender. While the stylized art is a rich collage
of Australian bush imagery, the typeface is clean and easy to read, so as not
to detract from the overflowing pictures. The font reinforces the non-fiction
nature of the book and is interwoven with excerpts from Paterson’s poems and
stories such as Waltzing Matilda and Mulga Bill’s
Bicycle.

I
love that Weidenbach’s retelling of Banjo Paterson’s life creates a vibrant and
engaging experience while the timeline of his life at the back of the book
gifts insights about the man rarely known. The Man from Snowy River is
part of Australia’s DNA, however I was unaware that when it was released it
sold out within a week and broke Australian publishing records (without the aid
of that internet thing). As an educational tool teachers will love the way it
can inspire further research on the life and times of the man but as an example
of writers impacting their community.

Kristin
Weidenbach’s previously published non-fiction book Tom the Outback
Mailman won the 2013 CBCA Eve Pownall Award. James Gulliver Hancock
has an extensive background in advertising, animation and technical drawing. Artists,
Writers, Thinkers, Dreamers is his compilation of profiles detailing
interesting facts about famous historical figures presented as highly stylized
infographics.